The focus on Liz Truss as next Tory leader has rocketed in recent weeks and she’s been quietly swelling her top team of SpAds behind the scenes to match the scrutiny. Guido can now reveal she has seven advisers working for her, just one short of Rishi’s joint No. 10 & 11 unit, two more than Raab ever had and four more than Jeremy Hunt under May. Alongside her long-time SpAds Sophie Jarvis and Adam Jones – head of media and comms – Jamie Hope joined in April 2021 from the CRD.
Last week Guido learnt that Lord Frost’s advisors – Hugh Bennett and Christopher Jenkins – had formally joined the Truss tent, while still both working for the policy unit and the Attorney General Suella Braverman respectively. Providing a major boost to Truss’s Brexit credentials…
In addition, Liz has taken on two additional SpAds. Reuben Solomon, formerly CCHQ’s head of digital and before that a manager for 4 years at Lynton Crosby’s CTF outfit, potentially helping Liz get on par with Rishi’s notoriously fancy social media graphics. Finally, Sarah Ludlow has joined as her parliamentary SpAd after six years at comms agency Portland, prior to which she was a press advisor at CCHQ and an MP staffer for, among others, Rory Stewart. A source says all this reflects Liz’s big brief, which now of course covers foreign relations, diplomacy, the Commonwealth, foreign aid, Brexit negotiating, Women and equalities… no other reason to beef up her team.
As always, get in touch with future changes here, and you can read the full list of government SpAds below…
